Combat / defence skills and manuals Books

Book SynopsisTHE MULTIMILLION COPY BESTSELLERTHE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SURVIVING ANYWHEREThe Collins Gem SAS Survival Guide is the pocket companion for adventurers everywhere. From making camp and finding food in the wild to security and self-defence in the streets, be prepared on land or sea. SAS legend John Lofty' Wiseman's unrivalled guide will teach you:Preparation Understanding and assembling latest, most resilient, kit.Navigation Skills, technologies and techniques to get you through unfamiliar terrain.Food and Health Finding resources in your environment, feeding yourself, healing yourself and avoiding disease.Safety and Security Recognising dangerous situations, defending yourself and saving others.Disaster Survival Dealing with unstable environmental conditions: what to do in the face of flash flooding or fast-spreading fire.Trade Review'An ideal level of detail for a single book ... The most valuable 'jack of all trades' book that currently exists' Bushcraft UK

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Book SynopsisHow to fly the legendary fighter plane in combat using the manuals and instructions supplied by the RAF during the Second World War. An amazing array of leaflets, books and manuals were issued by the War Office during the Second World War to aid pilots in flying the Supermarine Spitfire, here for the first time and using the original 1940s setting, they are collated into a single book. An introduction is supplied by expert aviation historian Dilip Sarkar. Other sections include aircraft recognition, how to act as an RAF officer, bailing out etc.Trade Review'As a reminder of times as a fighter pilot in WWII this book is a must' -- Aircrew Association

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Book Synopsis Includes extensive advice on mental preparation Teaches strategies for dealing with unexpected assaults Over 100 photographs and instructional artworks bring the topic to life

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Book SynopsisTHE MULTIMILLION COPY BESTSELLERTHE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SURVIVING ANYWHEREThe SAS Survival Handbook is the complete companion for adventurers everywhere. From making camp and finding food in the wild to security and self-defence in the streets, be prepared on land or sea. SAS legend John Lofty' Wiseman's unrivalled guide will teach you:Preparation Understanding and assembling latest, most resilient, kit.Navigation Skills, technologies and techniques to get you through unfamiliar terrain.Food and Health Finding resources in your environment, feeding yourself, healing yourself and avoiding disease.Safety and Security Recognising dangerous situations, defending yourself and saving others.Disaster Survival Dealing with unstable environmental conditions: what to do in the face of flash flooding or fast-spreading fire.Trade Review'An ideal level of detail for a single book ... The most valuable 'jack of all trades' book that currently exists' Bushcraft UK 'A survival guide for any crazy situation. You will almost definitely never have to use the skills, but it'll make you feel powerful' Caitlin Moran

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Book SynopsisPublication timed to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Dam Buster raid of 16-17 May 1943 performed by Lancaster bombers. Wartime nostalgia books republished in facsimile are hugely popular,Amberley's own bestselling Spitfire Manual and Instructions for American Servicemen in Britain, 1942 (Bodleian Library).

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Book SynopsisWith the aid of superb line artworks, Unarmed Combat demonstrates to the reader how special forces soldiers are taught to excel in hand-to-hand fighting: how they maximise bodyweight, and the use of various strikes, throws, locks and constrictions to defeat opponents. It explains how different martial arts have been combined by military units to create hand-to-hand combat systems for defence against multiple assailants, for fighting on the ground, for dealing with edged and impact weapons, what works against attackers with firearms and – more importantly – what doesn’t. With tips and techniques from unarmed combat experts, the book is divided into two main sections. The first covers the mental preparation needed to be ready to defend yourself. The second covers the physical techniques needed to defend yourself, and if necessary, strike back to temporarily incapacitate your attacker and escape. With more than 300 easy-to-follow artworks and handy pull-out lists of key information, Unarmed Combat is the definitive guide for anyone wanting to be ready for anything - it could save your life.Table of ContentsIntroduction PREPARATION 1. The Threat 2. Win Without Fighting 3. Training to Win TOOLS OF THE TRADE 4. The Basics 5. Unarmed Combat Training 6. Your Body’s Weapons 7. Striking and Grappling Methods 8. Locks, Controls and Chokes IN ACTION 9. Tactics 10. Defeating Unarmed Attacks 11. Defeating Hand-Held Weapon Attacks 12. Defeating Firearm Threats 13. Fighting on the Ground 14. Fighting Under Adverse Conditions Final Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe term 'medieval martial arts' conjures images of armoured knights wielding sword, lance and axe. While the image is correct, at the foundation of knightly combat was a sophisticated form of close quarter combat, centred on fighting with - and against - the dagger, a deadly weapon of both self-defense and last resort. In Mastering the Art of Arms, Volume One: The Medieval Dagger, Guy Windsor presents a complete guide to the principles and practice of Italian dagger combat, as set down in Il Fior di Battaglia a manuscript written in 1410. Readers are guided step-by-step through the process of mastering this six hundred year old art, from choosing a dagger to striking with it; from guard positions to steps and turns; from disarms to locks and takedowns; from safe falling practice to formal drills, and finally pressure testing their skills with sparring. Both a primer on the art and a methodology for on-going training, this book will give the complete novice a solid starting point, while providing useful drills and ideas for advanced martial artists. Those who study other traditional knife arts, and modern military combatives, will find many familiar techniques present in this ancient system. Trade Review Table of ContentsIntroduction to the Mastering the Art of Arms Series Introduction to Volume 1 The Medieval Dagger Chapter One: Fundamental Principle Chapter Two: Foundations from Fiore Chapter Three: Mechanics and Movement Chapter Four: Falling Free Chapter Five: Is This a Dagger which I See Before Me? Chapter Six: Grips, Strikes and Breaks Chapter Seven: Remedy Masters: Control the Weapon Chapter Eight: The System in Brief Chapter Nine: Counter-Remedies Chapter Ten: Dealing with the Backhand Chapter Eleven: When in Doubt, Use Both Hands! Chapter Twelve: The Low Blow Chapter Thirteen: Defense Against the Grab-and-Stab Chapter Fourteen: A Knife for a Knife: Defense with the Dagger Chapter Fifteen: A Dagger Disarm Flowdrill Chapter Sixteen: Armoured Combat Chapter Seventeen: Expanding Your Skills Chapter Eighteen: One System, Many Weapons Chapter Nineteen: Sword vs Dagger Acknowledgments Bibliography Glossary

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Book SynopsisRapier instructor Tom Leoni offers a full, accurate and accessible English translation of Ridolfo Capoferro's teachings in the Great Representation of the Art and Practice of Fencing, complete with high-resolution reproductions of the 43 original illustrations. Includes a glossary of rapier-fencing terms.Trade Review Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword Introduction Making Capoferro Accessible to the Modern Rapier Student A Personal Journey Who Was Ridolfo Capoferro? The Two Faces of Capoferro: Period Literature Versus Victorian Scholarship Jacopo Gelli: The Main 19th-Century Source on Capoferro Capoferro, His Treatise and Its Importance to the Modern Student Language, Translation, and Editorial Decisions What You Need to Know to Tackle Capoferro Additional Resources Great Representation of the Art and Practice of Fencing To the Most Serene Lord Don Francesco Maria Feltrio della Rovere, Sixth Duke of Urbino To the Kind Reader General Table of the Art of Fencing Here Follows the Great Representation of the Practice of Fencing. Beginning with the Explanation of the Difference Between Art and Practice A Few Recommendations about Fencing Explanation of Some Practical Fencing Terms The Plates and Practical Synopses Some Principles Regarding the Cut A Failsafe Way to Defend Against Any Attack by Parrying with a Riverso and Always Striking with an Imbroccata Glossary of Common and Useful Italian Rapier Fencing Terms

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Book SynopsisFirst English translation of this rare manuscript to be published compiled by a leading expert in the field of medieval and Renaissance martial combatTrade Review"This is the most in-depth account of sword technique we've seen, and military history buffs will find an awful lot to enjoy here. If you're interested in learning more about what many would call a lost art, then this translated work is an excellent place to start"--History of Royals "If you're interested in how people actually fought in the Early Modern Age, or just want to be able to visualize the duel between Romeo and Tybalt, The Art of Sword Combat is a book that will tell you everything you need to know."--Medievalists.net

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Book SynopsisFighting like a girl says I can be powerful in ways that are natural to me; I have access to power too it may not look the same as your power, but it's there and I can claim it.'It should never be a woman's job to have to protect herself but choosing to learn about self-defence can be incredibly liberating. Fight Like a Girl is a practical beginner's guide, in which women's martial arts expert and survivor Della O'Sullivan draws on her years of experience to give us the tools to protect our bodies and minds. A truly empowering illustrated handbook, it includes:easy-to-follow self-defence manoeuvreshow to spot red flags and protect yourself against alarming behaviourhow to adopt the mindset of a survivorIt is the book you'll want to press into every woman's hands.

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Book Synopsis''Captures the confusion, black humour, raw courage and sheer exhilaration of combat brilliantly'' THE TIMES''Read this account of his stint with the 26-man strong X Platoon in the sweltering jungle, living on grubs, outnumbered 80 to one, battling heavily armed rebels with bamboo sticks and home-made grenades, and you''ll be asking the question... Why wasn''t he given TWO MCs?'' SUNDAY SPORT2,000 blood-crazed rebels. 26 elite British soldiers. One man''s explosive true story.Airlifted into the heart of the Sierra Leone jungle in the midst of the bloody civil war in 2000, 26 elite operators from the secret British elite unit X Platoon were sent into combat against thousands of Sierra Leonean rebels.Notorious for their brutality, the rebels were manned with captured UN armour, machine-guns and grenade-launchers, while the men of X Platoon were kitted with pitiful supplies of ammunition, malfunctioning rifles, and no body armour, grenades Trade ReviewSergeant Steve Heaney captures the confusion, black humour, raw courage and sheer exhilaration of combat brilliantly. This book is one of the best accounts of low-level tactical soldiering since Fred Majdalany's WW2 classic Patrol. But Heaney tells a broader tale that has rarely been captured so well... I commend it to the professional soldier and layman alike. * THE TIMES *'... read this account of his [Steve Heaney] stint with the 26-man strong X Platoon in the sweltering jungle, living on grubs, outnumbered 80 to one, battling heavily armed rebels with bamboo sticks and home-made grenades, and you'll be asking the question... Why wasn't he given TWO MCs?' -- Jon Wise * Sunday Sport *

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Book SynopsisBECAUSE NOT ALL KRAV MAGA IS THE SAME ™ Hardcover format includes all photos in FULL COLOR! Israeli krav maga is the official self-defense system of the Israel Defense Forces. Krav maga training shares the same principles for civilians, law enforcement, and military personnel alike to deliver them from harm's way. Goals however, are different for law enforcement and military personnel. This book is designed for security-conscious civilians, law enforcement officers, military personnel, and security professionals alike who want to improve their chances of not just surviving an armed attack, but increase the odds of prevailing without serious injury. Krav maga's popularity in professional law enforcement, military, and security circles is attributable to its practicality, simplicity, quick retention, easy learning curve, and brutal effectiveness. This effectiveness is built on a few core tenets and simple building blocks. General principles are applied and customized to suit the needs of a dynamic violent situation. Contents include: Mind-sets, reactions, and tactics in response to violence The highest-level counters against multiple armed attacks and threats Core kick, clinch, and tackle defenses Core ground survival tactics Multiple-opponent strategies and tactics Impact weapon defenses Edged weapon defenses Firearm disarms and retention Includes 954 detailed photographs The most up-to-date tactics presented in this book focus on the most common violent scenarios. These techniques derive from the author's translation of the Israeli Krav Maga Association (IKMA) curriculum. The IKMA is the governing body for krav maga, recognized by the Israeli government and headed by Grandmaster Haim Gidon. Responsible people seek krav maga training as a shield against violence.Table of ContentsForeword Acknowledgements Introduction The Professional Level Three Reaction-Proaction Levels Fight Timing The Best Use of This Book Chapter 1—Civilian, Law Enforcement, and Military Krav Maga Training Chapter 2—Defending the Most Common Upper-Body and Lower-Body Attacks, Throws, and Counterthrows Chapter 3—Clinches, Choke and Takedown Defenses, Escorts, and Ground Survival Chapter 4—Impact-Weapon Combatives and Defenses Chapter 5—Firearm Cold Combatives Chapter 6—Defending Edged Weapons: Open Handed and When Your Handgun Is Inoperable Chapter 7—Multiple Assailants Chapter 8—Firearm Defenses Chapter 9—Firearm Retention and Professional Kravist Weapon-Defense Drills Appendix—Use of Force Use of Force and Law Enforcement, by Sergeant First Class Mick McComb, Ret. Use-of-Force Standard: Objective Reasonableness Summary of Force Options Severe Threat Level and Factors Biographies Resources Index

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Book SynopsisThe first complete translation of the ultimate Ninja manual, The Book of Ninja provides a fully comprehensive guide to the ancient arts of the ninja, including espionage, warfare, trap building, infiltrating castles, assassination, hiding magic, lock by-passing, bridge building, thieves' tools and much more

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Book SynopsisPublished months before the Battle of Jutland, W. M. James'' book was originally published as New Battleship Organisations. It was considered the ultimate guide to command and organization of every aspect of a modern First World War capital ship. Now republished as The Royal Navy Officer''s Jutland Pocket-Manual 1916, this reprint marks the centenary of the First World War''s most famous and deadly naval encounter. This small, but infinitely interesting manual provides a unique and highly revealing insight into life aboard ship: the mechanics of command and seamanship, the issuing of orders, and the broad expectations placed upon British naval officers. Specific sections are dedicated to the organization of watches; the division of work; naval routine; parades; anchor and cable work; coaling; the organization of chapel; on-board shops; cleaning; and even the ship''s barbers. A series of detailed tables, diagrams, and humorous cartons accompany the lucid, period language of the First World War Senior Service and provide a further glimpse below-deck that will appeal to social and family historians as well as anyone with an interest in naval history.

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Book SynopsisIn the Middle Ages, wrestling was practiced as both pastime and self-defense by every level of society - nobles, townsman and peasants alike - and was regarded as the foundation of all other martial arts. And no medieval wrestler's name looms as large as that of the Jewish master Ott, 'wrestler to the noble Princes of Austria', whose treatise is included in over a dozen fencing manuscripts. In this first of its kind book, Jessica Finley of the renowned medieval martial arts association, the Selohaar Fechtschule, guides the reader on a journey that begins with the historical background of Ott's wrestling and culminates in step-by-step instruction for practicing the techniques of this ancient fighting art. Both the lover of history and the wrestler on the mat will find this work an invaluable resource. Trade Review Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Martial Arts of Medieval Germany Chapter 2: Master Ott, the Baptised Jew Chapter 3: Organization of Ott's Treatise Chapter 4: Ott's Prologue and Fight Theory Chapter 5: Basic Wrestling Chapter 6: Stance and Grips Chapter 7: Treatment of the Techniques Appendix A: Ott's Wrestling from the Von Danzig Fechtbuch Appendix B: Ott's Treatise across Manuscripts Appendix C: Drills and Class Notes Bibliography Primary Sources

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Book SynopsisKoryu, literally 'old flow from the past,' refers to Japanese martial traditions that predate the sweeping cultural changes that followed the Meiji Restoration of 1868. They generally have a very different character and tone from modern martial arts, such as kendo, judo or aikido which followed. More than the study of antique weapons, self-defense or a form of athletics, these martial traditions are a cultural legacy and a window to another time and place. In the first edition of Old School, Ellis Amdur, a renowned martial arts researcher, and himself an instructor in two different surviving koryu, gave readers a rare glimpse into feudal Japanese warrior arts, both as they were in the past and as they live on today. Nearly a decade later, he returns to the subject in this new, greatly expanded edition, bringing readers inside the dojos of a number ancient schools, providing details analysis of the evolution and morphology of uniquely Japanese weaponry, addressing the myth and reality of Japan's naginata-wielding warrior women, and discussing the modern relevance of the blood oaths, magical ritual and mysticism that often permeate the koryu. Finally, he looks at the challenge of preservation and transmission, especially as more and more practitioners of the koryu exist outside of Japan itself. Writing with a combination of the initiate's passion for his subject, and the scientist's rigorous search for the truth, Amdur asks critically: do the ancient traditions still meet the objectives of their founders? Are they successfully passing their ancient legacy down to the next generation? Over a third larger than the first edition and filled with new artwork and photography, Old School: Japanese Martial Traditions Expanded Edition will be an invaluable addition to the library of old readers and new alike. 125 b&w illustrations, photographs and drawings. Trade Review Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Dedication Foreword to the First Edition Foreword to the Second Edition Author's Note Part One: Something Once New Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto-ryu Maniwa Nen-Ryu Higo Ko-ryu Part Two: Essays on Japanese Weaponry Ancient Weapons: A Prologue to the Development of Japanese Weapons of the Classical Era The Development and History of the Naginata Kusarigama: the Chain-and-Sickle Chigiriki: The Japanese Flail Part Three: History and Tradition The Origins of Araki-ryu Women Warriors in Japan Part Four: Nothing Stays the Same: Martial Traditions from the Edo Period Lineal Transmission into the 21st Century Tenshinsho-den Katori Shinto-ryu Redux Bugei in the Edo Period: The Rise of Competitive Martial Sports Honma Nen-ryu Yoshin-ryu: A Maze of Willows Part Five: The Sinew of Classical Martial Traditions The Role of Esoteric Training in Modern Times Keppan: Blood Vows in Japanese Martial Traditions Glossary Bibliography

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Book SynopsisThe sequence here shows Andy Deane and David Perry from the Royal Armouries Interpretation team demonstrating an armoured foot-combat display using pollaxes. Shot at the Royal Armouries' Tournament Gallery in Leeds.

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Book SynopsisThis book takes you to the fencing School of celebrated renaissance rapier Master Nicoletto Giganti of Venice. This faithful translation of Giganti's The School by internationally-known rapier teacher Tom Leoni includes the complete text, original illustrations and an introduction on rapier fencing that will make Giganti's text easy to follow. Trade Review Table of ContentsAcknowlegements Introduction What we know about Giganti What we know about Gaganti's 1606 Book Giganti's Voice and Language, and a note on the Translation Giganti and the Italian Tradition What You need to Know to Tackle Gigante The School, or Salle, by Nicoletto Giganti of Venice, 1606 The Guards and Counter-guards Tempo and Measure How to Deliver the Thrust Why I Begin with Single Sword Guards, or Postures Explanation of the Strike in Tempo The Correct Way to Gain the Opponent's Sword and Strike Him While He Performs a Cavazione The Correct Way to Perform a Cavazione The Contracavazione to the Inside The Contracavazione to the Outside Feints-Explanation The Feint of Cavazione From the Hand How to Strike to the Chest With Single Sword-From the Measure and Parity of Swords The Pass With Feint from Out of Measure The Pass With Feint Above the Opponent's Point The Feint to the Face from Out of Measure The Correct Way to Deliver a Thrust While the Opponent Attacks You With a Cut The Correct Way to Deliver a Sure Strike Using Both Hands The Correct Way to Defend Against a Mandritto or a Riverso to the Leg The Inquartata or Void An Artful Way to Strike the Opponent in the Chest after Pressing Against Each other's Blades How to Play Single Sword Against Single Sword, With Full-intent Thrusts How to Parry Thrusts to the Chest With Single Sword The Thrust to the Face, Turning the Hand Counterattack with Cavazione from out of Measure How to Use Single Sword Against Sword and Dagger How to Parry a Thrust to the Face in Sword and Dagger How to Correctly Parry a Thrust to the Left Flank How to Correctly Parry a Thrust to the Right Flank in Sword and Dagger How to Parry a Thrust to the Face in Sword and Dagger How to Parry a Cut to the Head in Sword and Dagger How to Parry a Riverso with the Dagger Thrust to the Chest in Sword and Dagger Delivering a Thrust While the Opponent Moves Thrust Above the Dagger A Deceitful Guard That Leaves the Left Side of the Body Open A Deceitful Guard That Leaves the Right Side of the Body Open A Deceitful Guard That Leaves the Chest Open The Feint of Sword and Dagger, to Strike Above the Dagger Feint of Sword and Dagger, to Strike in the Chest Feint of Sword and Dagger, to Strike to the Face With a Cavazione Over the Dagger-point How to Use the Sword to Parry a Lunging Thrust While Bringing Your Body Back How to Parry with the Dagger with Your Body Back Dagger-parry with the Body Back, with Simultaneous Sword-strike Sword-parry and Strike to the Face The Pass in Sword and Dagger, to Grapple the Opponent and Strike Him in the Face with the Dagger The Thrust to the Right Shoulder in Sword and Dagger The Pass in Sword and Dagger Glossary

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Book SynopsisFew images of chivalry are stronger in the popular mind than that of two armoured knights in a joust, crashing together astride their chargers. Yet, considering the importance of formal combat to the medieval aristocracy, we possess surprisingly few detailed accounts of tournaments, jousts or duels. As the great sporting event of its day, fans of feats of arms enjoyed hearing about them, but extensive descriptions of the actual events involving contemporary warriors were not what they were looking for. Sometimes, however, there was an upswing of interest that inspired poets and chroniclers to write more detailed descriptions of both combats and accompanying celebrations. One particularly rich time for source material are the years 1389-90, when diplomatic competition between Charles VI of France and Richard II of England inspired the kings to sponsor some of the most spectacular formal combats of the entire Middle Ages. These feats of arms attracted a great deal of attention from contemporary writers and they were not soon forgotten. As a result, we have valuable descriptions of how jousting was performed and appreciated at the highest social levels in the two great rival kingdoms of the West. Bringing together some of the most important accounts of medieval jousting, especially those of the jousts at St. Inglevert, Royal Jousts is a direct look at the sources that have influenced our modern notion, and every modern reconstruction, of late medieval jousting. It is also the first entry in our new Deeds of Arms series a series of short, colour-illustrated readers that make primary source accounts of famous displays of martial and chivalric prowess of the High and Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance accessible to a broad audience. Trade Review Table of Contents1. War, Peace, and Jousting, 1389-90 The Joust at St. Denis, May 1389 The Joust Accompanying Queen Isabella's Entry into Paris, August 1389 The Joust at St. Inglevert, March-April 1390 The Joust at Smithfi eld near London, October 1390 Some Notes on the Translations 2. The Joust at St. Denis, May 1389 Deschamps' Poetic Invitation The Monk of St. Denis' Account of the St. Denis Joust 3. The Joust Accompanying Queen Isabella's Entry into Paris, August 1389 Deschamps' Poetic Invitation Froissart's Account of the Jousts at Paris 4. The Joust at St. Inglevert, March-April 1390 Froissart on the Preparations for the Joust Chronographia Regum Francorum on St. Inglevert An Anonymous Poem on St. Inglevert Monk of St. Denis on St. Inglevert Froissart on the Jousting at St. Inglever Book of the Deeds of Boucicaut on St. Inglevert (Anonymous) 5. The Joust at Smithfi eld near London, October 1390 The Cry (Announcement) Froissart's Account of the Joust Appendix - Summarizing Froissart's Account of the St. Inglevert Jousting Bibliography Texts and Translations Secondary Works

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Book SynopsisUnderstanding the past takes more forms than historiography. Since 2005, professional and amateur scholars have come together at the annual International Medieval Congress in Western Michigan University to discuss the role re-construction, re-enactment and re-creation can play in 'breathing life into these dry bones' to deepen our knowledge of the past. Under the sponsorship of the Higgins Armory Museum and the Oakeshott Institute, presenters have looked at subjects ranging from ore smelting to equitation to the use of recreation and reenactment in the classroom. A special focus of these sessions has always been the critical examination of European fencing books, or Fechtbucher - not only for the sake of reconstructing the arts found therein, but also for what these sources can tell us about intellectual, cultural and social history. Thanks in part to editors' Mondschein and Cramer's work, the study of fencing books has rapidly become a recognized field of academic study. This volume brings together eight papers examining the study and reconstruction of medieval and early modern fight-books and related subjects. The subjects covered range from manuscript studies to philology, from Aristotelian physics to martial musicality, from medieval textuality to women and warfare. It will be of interest not only to professional historians, musicologists, literary scholars and art historians, but also to the vast army of impassioned and enthusiastic practitioners who endeavor, as a labour of love, to make the past come to life. Table of ContentsIntroduction Ken Mondschein Amazon, Allegory, Swordswoman, Saint? The Walpurgis Images in Royal Armouries MS I.33 Valerie Eads and Rebecca L. R. Garber Arts and Crafts of War: die Kunst des Schwertes in its Manuscript Context Keith Alderson The Medieval Experience of Time: Aristotle, Universals, and Technologies Ken Mondschein Patterns of Remedy in il Fior di Battaglia Robert Charrette Memory and Performance: Visual and Rhetorical Strategies of Medieval Martial Arts Texts Sean Hayes The Terminology of Medieval English Fight Texts: A Brief Overview James Hester Pure Air and Fire: Re-creating Medieval Horsemanship, or How to Ride like a Knight Michael A. Cramer Performance of the "Palästinalied" of Walther von der Vogelweide Mary Loomer Oliver

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Book Synopsis-Examines the development and use of Tanks in war from their introduction in WWI through the present day. -Jeremy Black is one of the pre-eminent military historians writing today. -Black's narrative style should appeal to scholars and armchair generals alike.Trade ReviewBlack's text is far more than a mere chronological account of tank warfare. It is indeed much more. It is a critique to a sort of tank-centric approach of military culture, one that appeared after World War Two and has been in vogue for the whole duration of the Cold War, an approach which derives from a flawed use of military history. The book is also an overview of what tanks are today and, of course, what tanks should be tomorrow. -- Matteo Mazziotti di Celso * Nuova Antologia Militare *Tank Warfare is recommended for any student of land warfare in the twentieth century. The broad scope and inclusive efforts provide a starting point for detailed research, assisted by Black's chapter notes and selected reading. -- Brian North * H-Net War *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgementsAbbreviations1. The Start2. The 1920s3. The 1930s4. The Second World War, I: Axis Advances5. The Second World War, II: The Allies Attack6. The Early Cold War, 1945–19677. The Late Cold War, 1968–19908. Since 19909. The FutureConclusionsSelected Further ReadingIndex

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Book SynopsisIn April 2009, then Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced he intended to significantly restructure the Army''s Future Combat System (FCS) program. The FCS was a multiyear, multibillion dollar program that had been underway since 2000 and was at the heart of the Army''s transformation efforts. It was to be the Army''s major research, development, and acquisition program, consisting of 18 manned and unmanned systems tied together by an extensive communications and information network. This book provides an overview of the development and considerations of the Department of Defense with regard to combat and tactical vehicles, with a focus on the Marine Corps Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) and Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC); the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV); Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles; and other defence acquisitions.

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Book SynopsisThe official Army special forces first-aid and medical emergency treatment of head injuries, burns, anaphylactic shock, and much more.Rangers value honor and reputation more than their lives, and as such will attempt to lay down their own lives in defense of their comrades. The Ranger Medic will do no less. Historically in warfare, the majority of all combat deaths have occurred prior to a casualty ever receiving advanced trauma management. Ranger leaders can significantly reduce the number of Rangers who die of wounds sustained in combat by simply targeting optimal medical capability in close proximity to the point of wounding. Directing casualty response management and evacuation is a Ranger leader task; ensuring technical medical competence is a Ranger Medic task. This official manual covers:Airway managementMenorrhage managementThoracic traumaGypovolemic shockHead InurySeisure managementOrthopedic traumaHypothermiaMalariaDiarrheaFungal skin infectionAnd much more!Written for US Army Rangers, but of use to Navy SEALs and all other special operation forces, this handbook lays a solid foundation for leaders and medics to be successful in managing casualties in a combat environment. The true success of the Ranger Medical Team will be defined by its ability to complete the mission and greatly reduce preventable combat death.

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Book SynopsisThis analysis of the general subject of WWI prisoners of war focuses on the role of a non-governmental association in confronting the increasingly chaotic conditions of East Europe.Trade ReviewExtremely interesting and impressively researched. -- Arnold Krammer Journal of American Hsitory

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewTaw's tightly argued analysis should be of interest to all readers...highly recommended. Choice Well-researched and well-written... A job well done. Marine Corps HistoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction. Mission Creep Writ Large: The U.S. Military's Embrace of Stability Operations 1. Stability Operations in Context 2. Doctrine and Stability Operations 3. Practical Adjustments to Achieve Doctrinal Requirements 4. Explaining the Military's Mission Revolution 5. Implications of Mission Revolution 6. A New World Order? Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewTaw's tightly argued analysis should be of interest to all readers...highly recommended. Choice Well-researched and well-written... A job well done. Marine Corps HistoryTable of ContentsAcknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction. Mission Creep Writ Large: The U.S. Military's Embrace of Stability Operations 1. Stability Operations in Context 2. Doctrine and Stability Operations 3. Practical Adjustments to Achieve Doctrinal Requirements 4. Explaining the Military's Mission Revolution 5. Implications of Mission Revolution 6. A New World Order? Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review[A] rich, useful, and important book. -- Thomas Powers New York Times Book Review A thoroughly documented, cogently argued work by an author with vast personal experience of his topic. Kirkus Reviews A vigorous and hard-hitting insider's account, -- Lawrence D. Freedman Foreign Affairs Pillar provides a telling and comprehensive new perspective from the inside. -- Steve Coll New York Review of Books This is a well-written effort by a former intelligence offer and academician. Hopefully, members of the national security community and their staffs will read and benefit from it. Choice Pillar's book is extremely detailed and informative, providing a better understanding of just how hard it is to be an intelligence professional in a world where all that matters is being wrong... once. -- James M. Burcalow Military Review Important and highly readable... This is a book that should be widely read by both the public and policymakers. -- Richard Harris The Manhattan MercuryTable of ContentsList of Abbreviations Preface 1. Introduction: A Comforting Explanation for Calamity 2. Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Iraq War 3. Alternative Visions of the Iraq War 4. Congress and the Politics of the Iraq War 5. Great Decisions and the Irrelevance of Intelligence 6. Politicization 7. Scapegoats and Spectator Sport 8. The Never-Ending Issue 9. Catharsis and 9/11 10. Responses to Catharsis 11. The Illusion of Reform 12. Real Reform 13. Adapting Policy to Uncertainty Notes Index

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Book SynopsisTrade Review[A] rich, useful, and important book. -- Thomas Powers New York Times Book Review A thoroughly documented, cogently argued work by an author with vast personal experience of his topic. Kirkus Reviews A vigorous and hard-hitting insider's account, -- Lawrence D. Freedman Foreign Affairs Pillar provides a telling and comprehensive new perspective from the inside. -- Steve Coll New York Review of Books This is a well-written effort by a former intelligence offer and academician. Hopefully, members of the national security community and their staffs will read and benefit from it. Choice Pillar's book is extremely detailed and informative, providing a better understanding of just how hard it is to be an intelligence professional in a world where all that matters is being wrong... once. -- James M. Burcalow Military Review Important and highly readable... This is a book that should be widely read by both the public and policymakers. -- Richard Harris The Manhattan MercuryTable of ContentsList of Abbreviations Preface 1. Introduction: A Comforting Explanation for Calamity 2. Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Iraq War 3. Alternative Visions of the Iraq War 4. Congress and the Politics of the Iraq War 5. Great Decisions and the Irrelevance of Intelligence 6. Politicization 7. Scapegoats and Spectator Sport 8. The Never-Ending Issue 9. Catharsis and 9/11 10. Responses to Catharsis 11. The Illusion of Reform 12. Real Reform 13. Adapting Policy to Uncertainty Notes Index

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Book SynopsisAs a window into the knight and his craft, In Saint George's Name: An Anthology of Medieval German Fighting Arts brings readers a treasure trove of historic combat treatises, musings on the culture and context of the martial arts in the late Middle Ages and hands-on training exercises for wrestling, dagger, falchion and poleaxe. Trade Review Table of ContentsDedication Acknowledgements About the Author The Selohaar Fechtschule Preface Introduction Chickens and Eggs: Which Master Came First? Master Peter Falkner's Dagger "Lance, Spear, Sword, and Messer" The Messerfechten of Master Paulus Kal Hot, Wet, Cold, and Dry: the Four Guards A Late 15th Century German Poleaxe Treatise Master Paulus Kal's Four Hip Wrestlings Introduction to the Von Danzig Fechtbuch The Von Danzig Fechtbuch - 1452 Ownership and Catalogue Information Johannes Liechtenauer's Verse Epitome [Zettel] Anonymous Commentaries on Liechtenauer's Longsword Anonymous Commentaries on Liechtenauer's Mounted Combat Anonymous Commentaries on Liechtenauer's Armoured Combat Andres Lignitzer's Armoured Combat with the Half-Sword Andres Lignitzer's Sword and Buckler Combat Andres Lignitzer's Wrestling Andres Lignitzer's Dagger Techniques Martin Huntfeltz's Armoured Combat with the Half-Sword Martin Huntfeltz's Pinning Techniques in Armour Martin Huntfeltz's Dagger Techniques Martin Huntfeltz's Mounted Combat Ott's Wrestling Peter von Danzig's Commentary on Liechtenauer's Armoured Combat Glossary Bibliography

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Book SynopsisPractical guide to soldiering during the British era of the Indian ArmyIncludes tips on fighting an insurgent enemy, the principles of security in mountain warfare and tactics for hard fightingReveals interesting parallels with the twenty-first century War on Terror

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